In the beginning, there was light. Without light – no shot, no scene, no film. Of course, we can also tell our stories in complete darkness, but that has little to do with movies. The visual medium needs visibility. Another question is: why don’t we just use practical lights instead of heavy lamps and bulky film fixtures? It would be so much easier production-wise! Cinematographer and educator Tal Lazar has not one, but a bunch of answers to this question in his latest MZed course “The Language of Lighting”. Let’s dive into his lesson, and establish when it’s okay to abandon movie lights and go solely for practicals. The modern lighting convention in film is all about emulation. This means that as filmmakers, our lights should be made to feel natural and believable in almost every scene. For an industry outsider or a beginner, this process might seem crazy. Imagine seeing, for the first time, the crew blacking out windows on location to simulate soft, cloudy outdoor light using artificial fixtures! Yet, practicals have something from both worlds. They are natural because they are totally real, and at the same time, they can bring a specific cinematic quality to the shot. What are practical lights? Let’s start with the definition. Practicals – are lighting fixtures that are part of the set or the world of the characters. Tal Lazar, a quote from his course. In other words, practicals are sources that you see directly in the frame, just like in...
Published By: CineD - Friday, 19 January, 2024